PNAT Practice Questions (2026) — Free Sample Questions with Answers

Answer: C

Walking 30 minutes a day is proven to lower blood pressure.: The study shows an association, and the groups differed in other ways, so it does not prove walking caused the difference.

A low-salt diet has no effect on a person's blood pressure.: The passage gives no evidence that salt has no effect; diet is in fact a possible explanation.

Other differences between the groups may explain part of the result.: Correct. The word 'However' introduces age and diet differences, which could also account for lower blood pressure.

Older adults should avoid walking as a form of exercise.: Nothing in the passage suggests walking is harmful for older adults.

Choose the conclusion the evidence actually supports; watch for words like 'however' that introduce limits, and do not treat a link as proof of cause.

Answer: B

Alcohol rub works better than soap and water for cleaning hands.: The passage never compares alcohol rub with soap and water.

Hand hygiene prevents infections, so hospitals work to raise compliance.: Correct. Every sentence supports both parts: hand hygiene is highly effective, compliance is low, and hospitals are acting to improve it.

Busy shifts are the main cause of infections that start in hospitals.: Busy shifts are mentioned only as a time when compliance drops, not as the main cause of infection.

Observation programs have completely solved the problem of compliance.: The passage lists observation as one response; it never says the problem is solved.

The main idea covers the whole passage, not just one detail. Check that every sentence supports your choice.

Answer: D

10: This works left to right, computing (18 − 3) first, which ignores order of operations.

12: This multiplies 3 × 2 before squaring; the exponent applies only to (4 − 2).

17: This leaves out the exponent and uses (4 − 2) = 2 instead of 2² = 4.

16: Correct. Parentheses: 4 − 2 = 2. Exponent: 2² = 4. Multiply and divide left to right: 3 × 4 = 12, then 12 ÷ 6 = 2. Subtract: 18 − 2 = 16.

Order of operations: parentheses, exponents, then multiplication and division left to right, then addition and subtraction left to right (PEMDAS).

Answer: C

16: This comes from dividing 240 by 15 instead of taking 15% of 240.

24: 24 is 10% of 240, not 15%.

36: Correct. 15% = 0.15, and 0.15 × 240 = 36.

40: 40 is about 16.7% of 240, which is too high.

Percent of a number: change the percent to a decimal and multiply (15% of 240 = 0.15 × 240). A check: 10% = 24, plus 5% = 12, total 36.

Answer: A

the nurse checked: Correct. The opening phrase describes what the nurse did, so 'the nurse' must come right after it: 'Before giving the medication, the nurse checked the patient's identification band.'

the patient's band was: This creates a dangling modifier, making it sound as if the band or the patient gave the medication.

checking the band: Without a subject, the sentence is incomplete and unclear about who checked the band.

and the nurse checked: 'And' cannot link an introductory phrase to the main clause; the result is ungrammatical.

An introductory phrase must be followed directly by the person or thing doing the action, or the modifier will dangle.

Answer: D

The lab results came back, they showed an infection.: This is a comma splice: two complete sentences joined by only a comma.

The lab results came back they showed an infection.: This is a run-on (fused) sentence with no punctuation between the two independent clauses.

The lab results, came back and, showed an infection.: The commas break up the subject and verb for no reason.

The lab results came back; they showed an infection.: Correct. A semicolon can join two closely related independent clauses.

Fix comma splices with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).